ive decided i want to get into dirt bikes and leave my quads for the dunes mostly. ive ridden bikes plenty of times, but never consistantly, and still consider myself a novice. the bikes i enjoyed the most were CR125's. i really liked the handling of them, and not too much power. a CR125 isnt going to be the best bet for riding single tracks and woods trails with the occasional road ride to the fuel station.

id like to be able to get good fuel economy so i can get a couple hours out of a tank without having to head back to the truck all the time. id also like to be able to put some miles on in the UP, similar to riding sleds, so 50-100+ miles capacity would be ideal. i thought that i wanted a CRF250X or WR250F, but have recently decided i want to get back on a two stroke, and am pretty sure i want a 200EXC.

i have a LOT of time on four wheelers and three wheelers. I dont want a 450 so i can leave it in 3rd and never have to shift. if i didnt want to shift, id buy a sportsman. bikes are supposed to be shifted. im no novice to shifting and using the power band properly. just a novice using it on two wheels instead of three or four, lol.

the four strokes have a big downfall as they are vastly more expensive, and id be temped to buy new, which i probably shouldnt spend the money.
i know that an XR400 or KDX200 would be a good bet too, but dont think i want one of them.
so, what would be my best bet?

CRF250X
WR250F
200EXC
250EXC
300EXC

im really leaning towards a 200exc early-mid '00's in the 2K price range. is this my best bet?

any of the 3 ktm's will be a good choice..the 200 might be a little weak running the roads in the U.P. try to find a newer ktm so you can get the electric start.call Uwin motorsports in ludington. he has a few leftover ktm's in stock at good prices.a new 300 is at the top for all around single track and 2 tracks.
the wr and the 250x are nice but they are very restricted right out of the box.

While I'm not really familiar with the newer 2-strokes I do own a 95 KTM 300EXC. It has been a superb bike since the day I bought it (about 5 or 6 years ago). It isn't the greatest when it comes to fuel consumption but it has a decent size tank and I can usually get about 2 hours out of it depending how I'm riding sometimes longer. It has GREAT low end torque for a 2 stroke as well.

i suppose one other advantage to an "older" 200exc is that they seem to hold their $2000 value really well. i could pick up a 200, ride it for a few years and sell it for what i payed or close to it, but a new bike could possibly have the advantage of good factory financing.

ive read that a big advantage for the 200 is that it has a six speed trans, and will run up to about 100MPH, where anything bigger is a five speed and doesnt have the top end. not that i want or need to run 100mph, but its said that running 60 or so, because of the higher gear the 200 will get much better economy. (lower rpms=less fuel) sounds like a good advantage in the UP.